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INTS 150 - Introduction to Southeast Asian Studies
Spring 2007
Copyright © 2006 Miguel B. Llora. All Rights Reserved.
Lecturer: Miguel Llora, MA
Course Description:
INTS 150 Introduction to Southeast Asian Studies is an introductory and uses an interdisciplinary approach to
studying modern Southeast Asia. This course will explore the social, religious, political, economic, and legal
foundations of Southeast Asia. The course content is designed to give the student a background to understand the
traditions, the values and thus the societies in Southeast Asia. In some cases we will explore history, in others the
arts, in some cases politics, etc. The course is designed to run in parallel - country and themed based - by week. We
will use film - as critique or to get a sense of the complexity of Southeast Asia.
Required Text:
Heidhues, Mary Somers. Southeast Asia - A Concise History. Thames and Hudson: London, 2000
Owen, Norman. ed. The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia - A New History. University of Hawaii Press:
Honolulu, 2005.
Films:
During the course of the semester we will view all or part of a number of films related to particular issues.
Evaluations: Papers and Presentation
10 ONE page question/reaction Papers*
05 % each
50 %
In Class Presentation**
25 %
25 %
Mini-Research Paper***
25 %
25 %
Total
100 %
* Each paper should be a minimum of ONE page (double spaced) in length. There are a total of 12 possible reaction
paper topics of which you must select only 10. If you decide to do all 12 reaction papers, the two extras will be
considered as “extra credit” and plus points will be applied either to your past reaction paper submissions, your In
Class Presentation, or your Mini-Research paper.
** Presentation to be based on Mini-Research Paper.
*** Five to Six pages (excluding cover sheet and list of references). Research paper should be country specific and
based on one or more of the themes covered in this course. All papers should be submitted in MLA format. All
assignments should be handed to me personally and on time. Please do not leave assignments in my (or the
department’s) mailbox. Copy of the assignment should also be placed in the Angel Drop Box for grading.
Please note:
(1) Unfortunately, due to past abuses, attendance will be mandatory and attendance will be taken.
Once again, unfortunately, due to past abuses the doors will be closed to entry as soon as class starts and tardiness
will count as an absence. Sorry.
(2) 4 unexcused absences will result in an automatic grade of D
(3) 5 unexcused absences will result in an automatic grade of F
(4) The videos shown in or outside of class should be watched carefully as they should be incorporated into the
papers. It goes also for speakers/invited guests.
(5) There will be no midterm or final exam so each paper is of equal importance.
February 6 – 8: Week 1 - Geography and Culture of Southeast Asia
Heidhues – Introduction 7-14
Heidhues – Waterways 15-34
Heidhues – Multiplicity of Beliefs 65-86
Question: What was your initial perception of Southeast Asia? How has your initial reading of the complexity
or geography and multiplicity of beliefs changed, if at all, your perception of Southeast Asia?
Part I - Mainland Southeast Asia
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February 13 – 15: Week 2 - Vietnam - In China's Shadow
Heidhues – China’s special relationship with Vietnam 89-95
Owen – Vietnam 1700-1885: Disunity, Unity, and French Conquest 106-116
Owen – Vietnam 1885-1975: Colonialism, Communism, and Wars 335-349
Owen – Vietnam after 1975: From Collectivism to Market Leninism 468-480
Movie: Mùi du du and - L'odeur de la papaye verte (Scent of Green Papaya)
Movie: Journey From The Fall
Question: From about 214 B.C. China controlled Vietnam. Vietnam is the only country in Southeast Asia that
was influenced more by China than by India. The Vietnamese people’s limited but significant sinicization had
began during the more than one thousand years that northern Vietnam had been a colony of the Chinese
empire, before Vietnam became independent in the tenth century A.D. During those centuries, the ethical
and political doctrines we call Confucianism, based on the teachings of the philosopher Confucius, had spread
among Vietnamese scholars. What are your impressions of Vietnam’s special relationship to China?
February 20 – 22: Week 3 - Cambodia - Issues of Hyper-Nationalism
Heidhues – Cambodia and Laos 147-149, 179-181
Owen – Cambodia: 1796-1884: Politics in a Tributary Kingdom 117 - 122
Owen – Cambodia 1884-1975 361-370
Owen – Cambodia since 1975 381-491
Movie: Cambodia: The Betrayal
Movie: The Killing Fields
Question Cambodia’s legacy hyper-nationalism and of political instability continues to scare off foreign
investors. What are your impressions of Cambodia’s future in terms of finding a niche in the global economy
and at the same time raise its standard of living?
February 27 – March 1: Week 4 - Burma - Women in Southeast Asia
Heidhues – Burma 174-177
Owen – Myanmar Becomes British Burma 83-92
Owen – British Burma and Beyond 322-334
Owen – Burma Becomes Myanmar 497-506
Movie: Inside Burma - Land of Fear
Movie: Beyond Rangoon
Question: Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of one of Burma's most cherished heroes, the martyred General
Aung San, who led his country's fight for independence from Great Britain in the 1940s and was killed for his
beliefs in 1947. Suu Kyi has equaled her father's heroics with her calm but passionate advocacy of freedom
and democracy in the country now called Myanmar, a name chosen by one of the most insensitive and brutal
military dictatorships in the world. What does Aung San Suu Kyi’s past, present, future speak to: (1)
Burma’s prospects as a developing country, (2) the role of women in Southeast Asia, (3) the future of military
regimes in Southeast Asia?
March 6 – 8: Week 5 - Thailand - Buddhism in Southeast Asia
Heidhues – Thailand 160-162
Owen – Siam: From Ayutthaya to Bangkok 93-105
Owen – Siam Becomes Thailand, 1910-1973 350-360
Owen – The Kingdom of Thailand 448-454
Movie: Suriyothai
Question: Theravada Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand, practiced by 90% of its population.
Theravada Buddhism, an orthodox Buddhist sect that keeps the original doctrine and tradition succeeded
from the Buddha, is adopted by Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand. Ever since the Sukhothai
Period, Buddhism has been recognized as the state's religion and significantly fundamental influence of Thai
society and culture. Nowadays, development and technology of the modern world has somehow changed the
traditional lifestyle of Thai people, especially in major metropolitan centers. Thai people still adopt Buddhist
philosophy of simplicity and moderation to inform their ways, making Thai society much more tolerant and
peaceful if compared against those which are suffering the stress from our competitive world today. What
does this signify in terms of Buddhism in Southeast Asia in general? If Thailand is somewhat representative
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of the Buddhist experience in Southeast Asia what are the prospects of Thailand for the future vis-à-vis
holding on to its traditional ways?
March 13 – 15: Week 6 - Laos - The Forgotten in Southeast Asia
Heidhues – Hmong 149; Cambodia and Laos 147-149, 179-181
Owen – Laos to 1975 371-378
Owen – Laos since 1975 492-496
Movie: Being Hmong Means Being Free
Question: Obscured by historical ties to France, the Vietnam War, and recent development but endowed with
vast resources and capacity to generate hydroelectric power for the region, what will it take to bring Laos
into the realm of major players in the region and how will it reconcile its geography, history, and cultural
diversity?
March 19 – 23: Spring Break
Part II - Maritime Southeast Asia
March: 27 – 29: Week 7 – Philippines - In the Crossroads of Christianity and Islam in Southeast Asia
Heidhues – Philippines
166-168
Owen – The Spanish Philippines 147-160
Owen – The Philippines, 1896-1972: From Revolution to Martial Law 283-295
Owen – The Philippines since 1972 455-467
Movie: Jose Rizal
Movie: Dekada '70 (The Decade of the 70s)
Question: In the crossroads of Christianity and Islam and its unique relationship to the United States, the
Philippines inhabits a space of liminality unlike any other country in the region. What does the future hold
for reconciling the confluence of all these traditions and taking that and its recent historical, political, and
economic development into the 21st century and beyond?
April 3 – 5: Week 8 - Indonesia - Islam in Southeast Asia
Heidhues – Indonesia 168-170
Owen – Realignments: The Making of the Netherlands East Indies 1750 – 1914 123-136
Owen – Becoming Indonesia, 1900-1959 296-311
Owen – Indonesia: The First Fifty Years 431-447
Movie: The Year of Living Dangerously
Question: Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim county, is a vast archipelago with porous maritime
borders, a weak central government, separatist movements, corrupt officials, a floundering economy, and a
loosely regulated financial system—all characteristics which make it fertile ground for terrorist groups.
While Indonesia is known as a secular, tolerant society that practices a moderate form of Islam, radical
Islamists have gained momentum. U.S. officials and terrorism experts worry about al-Qaeda using Indonesia
as a base for a Southeast Asian front. Taking into account Indonesia’s past balancing secularism and a
Muslim majority what are its prospects for the future?
April 10 – 12: Week 9 - Malaysia - Ethnic Dynamics in Southeast Asia
Heidhues – Malaysia 171-172
Chua, Amy. "Rubies and Rice Paddies - Chinese Minority Dominance in Southeast Asia." in World on Fire: How
Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability. 23-48. New York:
Doubleday, 2003.
Owen – The Malay Negeri of the Peninsula and Borneo 1775-1900 137-146
Owen – British Malaya 312-321
Owen – Malaysia since 1957 414-421
Movie: Gol & Gincu
Movie: Mei li de xi yi ji (The Beautiful Washing Machine)
Question: Given its diversity, Malaysia's unity is regarded as tenuous. Great disparity remains between
urban and rural communities and political and economic power is delicately balanced between the Malays,
who are in the majority, and the Chinese, who are the wealthiest, while the Indians and the indigenous are the
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poorest. Yet the nation has attained a degree of social harmony and stability that is unmatched by most of its
neighbors. What are the prospects of maintaining this tenuous harmony?
April 17 – 19: Week 10 - Singapore - The Chinese in Southeast Asia
Heidhues – Accelerated Growth 163-166
Owen – Consolidation of Colonial Power and Centralization of State Authority 201-221
Culture Is Destiny - A Conversation with Lee Kuan Yew (in conversation with Fareed Zakaria)
Is Culture Destiny? The Myth of Asia's Anti-Democratic Values - Kim Dae Jung
Democracy in Confucianism
Movie: Big Business and the Ghost of Confucius
Question: Asian values was a concept that came into vogue in the 1990s, predicated on the belief in the
existence in Asian countries of a unique set of institutions and political ideologies which reflected the region's
culture and history. Lee Kuan Yew, at that time the prime minister of Singapore was a particularly vocal
advocate of Asian values. Some critics of the term argue that no universal "Asian" value system exists,
because the cultural diversity of Asia is too great for there to be a single set of common values across the
region. What are your impressions on the “Asian Value” debate and does it continue to have relevance and
influence?
April 24 – 26: Week 11 - Brunei - Southeast Asia's Kuwait
Heidhues
Owen - Singapore and Brunei 422-430
Question: What role does Brunei play in the region?
May 1 – 3: Week 12 - Southeast Asia's Future: Globalization, Asian Values, and ASEAN
Heidhues – ASEAN 9, 177, 179, 182
Owen – Globalization and Economic Change 161-179
Owen – ASEAN 396-397, 479-480, 490, 495-496, 501, 506
Question: What role, if any, did ASEAN play in the region and what is its present role? What, if any, does
ASEAN provide in terms as a unifier in the region?
May 8 – 10: Week 13 - In Class Presentation
*** Since this is “Introduction to Southeast Asian Studies”, the presentation will be based on your Mini-research
paper. One will present (using PowerPoint) on a topic mutually agreed upon with the professor. A group could do a
presentation along a “themed” line. Grounded on the readings, lectures, and discussions, one could very well expand
on a country profile taking into account the issues taken up (and papers written about) in class and apply them to the
presentation. How are these countries serving the needs (political and social) of its citizens - is that even the
question? One could also take a specific individual or interest. The possibilities are limitless.
Evaluation:
Grade will be based on the quality of research done. Taken into account will be such things as sources, theme, and
formulation. In other words, how you put it all together.
Action:
1. You will need to pair up as soon as possible.
2. I will need a topic from the pair or student as soon as possible.
3. Based on the topic, it might be wise to consider at least 2 outside sources (no internet, please). Searching the
databases in the library is allowed and encouraged. Using search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc. falls under the
“no internet, please” umbrella.
Preparing Your Presentation:
 In class presentation is a maximum of 10 minutes followed by 5 minutes of Q & A.
 Provide one page outline to me in the form of an email attachment one week prior to presentation to be put up
on the class page on Angel. Students are required to consult with me concerning: (a) the in-class presentation,
and (b) the research paper.
 Students are expected to confirm the topic of their in-class presentation by the end of week 7.
Students are also expected to confirm the topic of the research paper no later than end of week 10. Research paper is
due during exam week.
Week 14 - Exam Week: Research Paper Due
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Suggested Reading List
Southeast Asia
Berquist, Karin Bo. ed. Images of Asia: Cultural Perspectives on a Changing Asia. Copenhagen: Danish Center for
Culture and Development, 2004.
Bullis, Douglas. Fashion Asia. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2000.
Chua, Amy. World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability.
New York: Doubleday, 2003
Dalpino, Catharin, and Steinberg, David. eds. Georgetown Southeast Asia Survey 2002-2003. Washington, DC:
Georgetown University Press, 2004.
Gunaratna, Rohan. ed. Terrorism in the Asia-Pacific: Threat and Response. Singapore: Eastern University Press,
2003.
Kerlogue, Fiona. Arts of Southeast Asia. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc., 2004
Leinbach, Thomas, and Ulack, Richard. eds. Southeast Asia: Diversity and Development. Upper Saddle River:
Prentice Hall, 2000.
Millard, Mike. Jihad in Paradise: Islam and Politics in Southeast Asia. London: M.E. Sharpe, 2004.
Yamashita, Shinji and Eades, J.S. eds. Globalization in Southeast Asia: Local, National, and Transnational
Perspectives. New York: Berghahn Books, 2003.
Burma
Smith, Martin. Burma: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity. London: Zed Books, Ltd., 1993.
Tinker, Hugh. The Union of Burma: A Study of the First Years of Independence. London: Oxford University Press,
1961.
Indonesia
Schwarz, Adam. A Nation in Waiting: Indonesia in the 1990s. New York: Westview Press, 1994.
Taylor, Jean Gelman. Indonesia: Peoples and Histories. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.
Toer, Pramoedya Ananta. The Girl from the Coast. Trans. Willem Samuels. New York: Hyperion East, 2002.
Philippines
Chai, Arlene. The Last Time I Saw Mother. New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1995.
Go, Julian, and Foster, Anne L. The American Colonial State in the Philippines: Global Perspectives. Durham: Duke
University Press, 2003.
Holmes, Burton. Burton Holmes Travelogues. Chicago: The Travelogue Bureau, 1914.
Jose, F. Sionil. Dusk. New York: The Modern Library, 1992.
McKenna, Thomas M. Muslim Rulers and Rebels: Everyday Politics and Armed Separation in the Southern
Philippines. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.
Miller, Stuart Creighton. Benevolent Assimilation: The American Conquest of the Philippines, 1899-1903. New
Haven: Yale University Press, 1982.
Phelan, John Leddy. The Hispanization of the Philippines: Spanish Aims and Filipino Responses, 1565-1700.
Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1959.
Thailand
Jeffrey, Leslie Ann. Sex and Borders: Gender, National Identity, and Prostitution Policy in Thailand. Vancouver:
University of British Columbia Press, 2002.
Masavisut, Nitaya, and Grose, Matthew. eds. Thai Short Stories and Poems. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books, 1996.
Vietnam
Sheehan, Neil. A Bright Shining Life: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam. London: Picador, 1990.